Todd English: Trip Over Table?

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Where is Todd English's show Open Table? I have searched the Internet and found nothing of late... There is another show listed besides American Chef (about which I've written before -- see "Todd English: American Chef Gone Wild"). The new show is called Food Trip with Todd English. SGPTV, the company with advertising rights for the show describes it thus: Todd English is among the nation's culinary royalty (not to mention one of People Magazine's 2001 "50 Most Beautiful People"). He's bringing his talent and taste for reinventing traditional cooking to public television, on Food Trip with Todd English. Todd will travel to a different location in each episode, drawing inspiration for new recipes from the native cuisine and ingredients of each locale, then presenting viewers with his creative twist on traditional fare. This combination of hands-on advice, delicious delicacies and a variety of specialty segments ensure that Food Trip with Todd English will draw an engaged audience of public television viewers — the exact market that you want to reach! By advertising, you would be eligible for guest appearances by Todd (get in line, behind his restaurants -- or not), plus "acknowledgement in companion book" plus "your company's corporate logo on the program's Web site" -- oh joy! Hello? What makes anyone think this turkey will fly any farther or higher than Open Table? Unless, of course, this is the same show, reworked -- reconcepted -- re-heated? And what is the latest on American Chef? Let's see, how many "food trips" can I count by chefs? Maybe Todd finally got past his own chapter in Super Chef and started reading (and learning about) the others. Well, I discussed Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger's TV shows, including Tamales World Tour. I talked about the Food Network's show Wolfgang Puck and even interviewed the producers at Weller/Grossman. Maybe he just watched the Food Network on any given day to catch Bobby Flay or someone touring the nation, or another nation... In any case, what makes anyone think that the PBS crowd is a target audience for Reality TV shows? "Food Trip"? Not a lot of creativy in food television these days -- or in any TV these days. Reruns rehashed ad nauseam. Yuck! In the conclusion to Super Chef, I speculate as to whether TV is the best medium for chefs after all: so far, no one has challenged me on it. Previous articles: Gordon Ramsay Joins Richard Branson in Fox's Reality TV Hell Rocco DiSpirito Wins TV Turkey Dinner More Reality TV Chefs (Or Less)? Todd English Flipflops Between Bush and Kerry? Real TV Cooking? Kitchen Confidential a la Sex and the City Super Chef vs. Governator: Todd English Fights For Foie Gras Rights Rocco DiSpirito: Be Warned By Me! Iron Chef: America vs USA Todd English: American Chef Gone Wild Rocco Barred from Reality TV Restaurant Rocco: Trapped in Reality TV's Twilight Zone?